Frugal Foodie Friday: “Buttermilk” Banana Pancakes

All of you dairy-freers out there know that many brands of pancake mix harbor milk in some form, especially the prized buttermilk versions. But no need to worry, making pancakes from scratch is cheaper, healthier, and really quite easy … yes, even the “buttermilk” kind. If you don’t believe me, just try this recipe for Buttermilk Banana Pancakes…

Faux buttermilk is a breeze to whip up. All it requires is your favorite milk alternative and either some vinegar or citrus to help the 5-minute curdling process. These Buttermilk Banana Pancakes are a wonderful breakfast treat! Enjoy with any of your favorite pancake toppings. We loved them with nut butter, extra banana slices, and a touch of maple syrup (of course!). The dollar sized pancakes we went for are also perfect for little ones.

Reader Raves: “Buttermilk” Banana Pancakes

I originally shared this recipe on my old blog, and it received the following feedback from readers:

These are the best pancakes I’ve ever made! Thanks for all the great recipes!!! ~ APolk

These were sooo good! Thank you for sharing this recipe! ~ Stephanie

Special Diet Notes: Buttermilk Banana Pancakes

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and vegetarian.

For egg-free, vegan: While I have not tried this, I am fairly confident it will work. Use the full cup of banana or use bump up the milk alternative to 2 cups and add a wee bit more baking powder.

In a large bowl, combine the milk alternative and vinegar or lemon juice, and set it aside for just a minute.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set that aside.

Returning to the milk alternative, whisk in the egg, oil, honey or agave, vanilla, and banana. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just everything is combined, but do not overmix. A few lumps are okay (especially since you are likely to have some banana lumps!).

Heat a small amount of oil (maybe a teaspoon) in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Pour about ¼ cup of batter (or 2 tablespoons for those little dollars) onto the skillet for each pancake.

Cook until the bubbles break on top of the pancakes (check to ensure they don’t brown too much though), flip, and cook for another minute or two, or until lightly browned on both sides.

Serve with maple syrup, berries, nut butter, or other topping of choice.

Flash freeze any leftovers and toast them up for a quick pastry breakfast anyday!

Notes

*While I love banana flavor, I am not big on pancakes with too much bananal; it is a textural thing. So I just used 1 large banana, which equated to ½ cup of mashed banana. Feel free to use more if you prefer, they should still turn out nicely.